Kamworor steps up preparations for Valencia marathon

Geoffrey Kamworor will be looking to lower his personal best when he takes on a stellar field at the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso EDP, a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label set for 5 December. 

A winner of three world half marathon titles and two world cross-country titles, Kamworor’s Personal Best (PB) 2:06:12 PB set on his debut at the distance back in 2012 at the Berlin Marathon, is the eighth fastest on the field that has seven sub 2:05 runners. 

The two-time New York Marathon champion (2017, 2019) has been preparing for the Valencia race, having announced his participation in early October.

“I am very happy to announce that I will run the Valencia Marathon on 5 December. It is great to be back on the start line. Valencia is a fantastic city with good memories because, in 2018, I became World Half Marathon Champion there,” he wrote on his social media accounts. 

Kamworor who was set to represent the country at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 10,000m but his dream was cut short due to a nagging injury will be back in action for the first time since the national Olympics trials. 

He will, however, face stiff competition from Olympian Lawrence Cherono who will be getting back on the road since finishing fourth at the Olympics Marathon. The 2019 Boston and Chicago champion will return to the scene with his 2:03:04 PB, the fastest in the field. 

World bronze medalist Amos Kipruto, who also achieved his personal best in Valencia, is another of the five sub-2:04 performers in the field; Ethiopia’s Mule Wasihum (2:03:16), Getaneh Molla (2:03:34) and 2019 Valencia winner Kinde Atanaw (2:03:51) comprise the rest of the sub-2:04 quintet. 

Ethiopia’s Andamlak Belihu, who finished fifth over 10,000m at the 2019 World Championships and at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships, will be making his marathon debut. The 22-year-old’s PBs of 26:53:15 for 10,000m and 58:54 for the half marathon point to a potentially fast time for the full marathon distance.